What REALLY Caused the Widespread Blackout in Europe?

By the author of Household Preparedness Training: Domestic Protocols For Crises And Emergencies

On Monday last week, a large-scale blackout kept almost all of Portugal, Spain, and parts of France in the dark for hours, affecting millions. Some local anomaly of still-unclear origin turned the issue regional thanks to the interconnectedness and centralization of the grid in the Peninsula Iberica.

The information released so far is confusing and obscure. As usual, the government isn’t being transparent in trying to avoid panic and further impact on the population and markets, which makes sense strategically.

In all likelihood, it was a combination of factors leading to a perfect storm, as is always the case in these events. There were speculations of a cyberattack. However, the blackout has all the marks of net-zero policies starting to impact the European grid somehow.

Though not unprecedented, the blackout is considered the worst in Spain’s history. Even though power was restored shortly and nothing significant occurred, some peculiarities, like the complete crash of phone service and internet, underscore the event’s severity. 

These events present a warning and a series of lessons. The smart ones will heed both. Power outages can and do happen in real life, anywhere, so it doesn’t matter the whys or ifs, only what we do to prepare.

The economy portends major events in other areas.

Back in 2021, I wrote a post about the energy system. In it, I explained the grid’s functioning, the changes and movements currently underway in the energy sector, and how these could increase the system’s vulnerability. 

I concluded with the following words: “Any change implies a period of uncertainties and, potentially, instabilities and disruptions, so we must be ready.” Maybe we should start publishing The OP posts in Spanish, but I digress.

Today, the power grid everywhere is vast, complex, and interconnected, with a multitude of parts and sources, including many of the new “green” varieties. 

It’s a vital sector that sustains practically all aspects of modern civilization. Although the systems and their management are advanced and automated, their arrangement and interconnectedness make them vulnerable to cascading issues. 

It’s interesting to note that the underlying cause is always related to the state of the economy. As it declines, so does almost everything else (including maintenance and investments), potentially leading to a series of minor and major SHTFs (that same dynamic happens on the personal level, too, and the reason why it’s essential to take care of one’s finances at all times). 

History doesn’t repeat, but rhymes. 

That’s a beat-up cliche but true nonetheless. As I argue in many of my articles and in the preface of my latest book (Household Preparedness Training, which deals precisely with this type of situation), blackouts—as well as shortages and rationings in general, strikes, oil and energy shocks, geopolitical conflicts, and others—were common and frequent during the 1970s and 1980s.

The present day shares many aspects with that period. Those of you over 40 or 50, like me, know what I’m talking about. 

That’s the scenario I’ve been warning about and preparing for. The instability is as high as in those decades, if not higher, thus increasing the volatility and probability of disruptive events happening more frequently and becoming more impactful.

That doesn’t mean everything will happen the same way. A lot has changed since then, but the majority has occurred in technology, the supply chain, and the level of interconnectedness. Therefore, if things like blackouts, market shocks, strikes, and attacks on the infrastructure ramp up, the consequences could be even worse this time. 

What would have happened if the blackout had lasted longer? 

When power crashed in Spain and Portugal, people just chilled. There was no looting, no rioting, no spike in robberies, home invasions, rapes or any crime. 

The Spanish are very chill, very civilized people. They just went out to the streets and into bars to chat, eat, drink, and enjoy the springtime weather.

Spain is a very safe country, many times safer than the U.S. and infinitely safer than Mexico or Brazil. However, things would still have been different if the blackout had lasted longer because “people are people.” No matter where, similar circumstances will entail similar responses. 

In my Household Preparedness book, I narrate the story of a long-term blackout on November 3, 2020, in the northern state of Amapá, Brazil. The outage, caused by a short circuit in the main transformer, left ninety percent of the state’s population in the dark for almost a month. It took days for the rest of the country to become aware of the situation.

Here’s a script of a typical blackout in the modern-day era.

Early on, everybody is cool because they were counting on the power to be restored quickly and everything to go back to normal soon. “Cool, let’s have dinner at candlelight!”. 

So people take it for a short ‘break’ and even enjoy the change in their daily routine. Strangers help each other, neighbors share resources, and so on. A few will “rush to prepare” and hit the stores to buy water, food, and other necessary items. That’s how it went in Spain. 

But all that changes drastically over time. As time passes, people begin to feel nervous and agitated. Businesses and companies also start getting impacted. If there’s a phone and internet blackout, as in Spain, rumors and speculation begin to spread, adding to the strain.

Everybody will go home, counting on things returning to normal by the morning. If the power is still out the next day, more people will try to prepare for a more extended outage, increasing movement in the streets and commerce. Transportation, police, hospitals, and other institutions will enter emergency mode and take measures in case power takes longer to return.

As a blackout enters its third day, people get anxious. Fearing something more serious is happening, larger masses now want to prepare for an extended outage. That’s when instincts start to kick in: fear, but also greed. The bad apples start seizing the opportunity by gouging prices, hoarding, and committing crimes. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s an ultra-civilized place, developing country, or the Third World: the timing may vary, but the effects, psychology, and dynamics tend to be the same because (again) “humans.” 

After a point, it’s a matter of instinct and survival until the situation stabilizes and everyone is more or less “adapted” to it.

When technology fails, the old and basic ways still work.

Cellular service and the internet crashing down felt odd, considering base stations usually have backup batteries and power generators. 

Granted, whenever power goes off, antennas go down right away in some districts or regions, and where it’s up, the system gets overwhelmed. 

But I’ve never seen the cellular and internet fail on that scale during a blackout. This is not even true here or in other places where power outages are more common and frequent, much less in Europe, where services and utilities are stable and coverage is top-notch.

How can you avoid getting blindsided, trapped, and kept in the dark.

• Landlines and radios for communication and information.
• Cash and change for shopping and paying bills. 
• You should have a few days or weeks’ worth of food and water to avoid panic and risky exposure.
• Reliable, portable light and energy sources to keep essential electronics working. 

That’s Prepping 101. Nowadays, everybody should have something ready for emergencies. 

But there’s more, especially if you live in a city with buildings, subways, trains and traffic. 

Late last year, I wrote a post about the importance of gathering local intelligence. It was taken from a chapter of my just-released book Household Preparedness Training, in which I recommend a series of exercises and ideas for a safer and more productive homestay during crises and emergencies.

The main theme of the book is grid-down simulations to be performed at home so individuals and families can practice protocols and maintain their daily routines with as few inconveniences as possible when something goes off the script. 

Having vital information on the basics of your system can be critical to avoid getting trapped or too limited when power and other services go out. 

These strategies and ideas are based on the knowledge of older generations. I learned a lot of that from my grandparents; it didn’t feel like preparation at the time, but it taught me a lot about resilience, adaptation, and preparation for difficult moments—times when power, water, and other services go down without warning, when there’s panic, confusion, and turmoil in the streets, and so on. 

I’ve adapted much of that to the modern day; some stuff is easier and more readily available today, and others are harder to come by. One obstacle is the low preparedness level of the population in general, though that also varies among different jurisdictions (countries or even states). 

Where’s all the collapse that’s been predicted? 

Those who haven’t been impacted in any way by these kinds of events may wonder about that. 

First, it’s more a prognostication than a prediction. Second, no one can tell the timing of events and their consequences. Third, and most important, shit doesn’t hit the fan in the real world in the exact way most people think, or as doomsday preppers vaticinate. Much less as shown in Hollywood movies.

Anyone expecting a sudden failure of the supply chain, an abrupt crash in the economy and finance, a lasting failure of the grid, or a major social breakdown shouldn’t hold their breath. It doesn’t happen like that in most places, certainly not in more developed and stable countries. 

It can take a while for the consequences of events to unfold and hit society at large. These things happen slowly, with shocks that escalate in frequency, duration, and severity, accumulating and gradually toppling the structures of society. 

But first, they impact more vulnerable populations and businesses, so be mindful of your position in that structure and prepare accordingly.

Being without energy for half or even an entire day may seem like hell to someone living in a big city in Spain, Portugal, the U.S., the U.K., or Canada. 

But it’s everyday fare for many inhabitants of developing countries and Third Worlders. Even in a global crisis, wealthier, more organized nations are affected, but the distribution of pain isn’t uniform or equal in measure or over time.

I don’t want to sound alarmist or gloomy, but there are reasons to believe we’re still in the early stages of a significant crisis. There will be more and longer-lasting power outages, disruptions in utilities, infrastructure failures, and shortages. There will be more inflation, joblessness, strikes, riots, and protests. 

While I know people can adapt over time, life can be much easier if we prepare. That inspires me to write about situations I and others like me have been through.

What do you think?

Do you have any thoughts on what caused the widespread blackout in Europe? Do you think we’ll begin to see intermittent blackouts like that where you live? What is your best blackout preparedness tip?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

About Fabian

Fabian Ommar is a 50-year-old middle-class worker living in São Paulo, Brazil. Far from being the super-tactical or highly trained military survivor type, he is the average joe who since his youth has been involved with self-reliance and outdoor activities and the practical side of balancing life between a big city and rural/wilderness settings. Since the 2008 world economic crisis, he has been training and helping others in his area to become better prepared for the “constant, slow-burning SHTF” of living in a 3rd world country.

Fabian’s ebook, Street Survivalism: A Practical Training Guide To Life In The City , is a practical training method for common city dwellers based on the lifestyle of the homeless (real-life survivors) to be more psychologically, mentally, and physically prepared to deal with the harsh reality of the streets during normal or difficult times. He’s also the author of The Ultimate Survival Gear Handbook.

You can follow Fabian on Instagram @stoicsurvivor